EVERYTHING you need to know about the PARADE
Here we go witches!
Do you need to learn the Witch's Dance for the parade?
Here's our SE MA Chapter teaching all the steps!
Want to learn the dance with other dancing witches?
JOIN US at our only parade rehearsal on Oct 15th at 10AM
After the 10AM dance rehearsal, step inside the Community Center and BLING UP your hat + broom.
We provide all the fun sparkly bits,
you bring your own hat + broom.
We'll also have various vendors inside -
parade tee shirts, handmade brooms, gorgeous witch costumes and accessories. Join the fun!
PLEASE NOTE: There is NO
PRE-REGISTRATION to dance in the parade.
You may register on the day of the parade at our registration table at the starting point -
Municipal Lot on Brown Street, across for the Kayak Centre.
We are asking for a donation of $10/person to help us offset cost of the parade
(almost $8000 this year).
All that is REQUIRED for you to dance in the parade:
1. Witch's costume (whatever that means to you) but must include a hat + broom/stick
2. Know the Witch's Dance
(and for those who just can't learn the dance,
we'll have a Division of non-dancing witches that you can join).
This year we'll be parading along a different route - we had so many witches and spectators that we needed more room, but rest assured the route is the same length -
only about 1/2 mile to accommodate all the dancing witches but not so long
that anyone will need to ride their broom!
And there will be NO PARKING along the parade route!
We're also ADDING a Witches ROLL + GLOW brigade to our parade this year!
Do you have a bike? Trike? Unicycle? Razor scooter?
Want to dress up as a witch and peddle in the parade?
Our parade is being held on Saturday, October 21st at 2PM
(rain date is Sunday, October 22nd at 2PM)
PLEASE NOTE: the parade will be ending at the town beach pavillion, and there will be multiple food trucks for you to grab a drink and snack after all that dancing!
We're also going to host a group dance at the beach - can't you just see it?
500 dancing witches to end the parade!
Trophies and prizes will be awarded for best costumes and
we'll have special musical guests for you to enjoy after the dance.
Please be sure to thank the North Kingstown Arts Council for signing on as our major sponsor this year (as in previous years) and the North Kingstown Recreation Department
for providing our shuttle buses for the day.
We're also grateful to the Wickford Merchants Association for helping to offset costs for some of our special guests for the day.
only about 1/2 mile to accommodate all the dancing witches but not so long
that anyone will need to ride their broom!
And there will be NO PARKING along the parade route!
We're also ADDING a Witches ROLL + GLOW brigade to our parade this year!
Do you have a bike? Trike? Unicycle? Razor scooter?
Want to dress up as a witch and peddle in the parade?
Our parade is being held on Saturday, October 21st at 2PM
(rain date is Sunday, October 22nd at 2PM)
PLEASE NOTE: the parade will be ending at the town beach pavillion, and there will be multiple food trucks for you to grab a drink and snack after all that dancing!
We're also going to host a group dance at the beach - can't you just see it?
500 dancing witches to end the parade!
Trophies and prizes will be awarded for best costumes and
we'll have special musical guests for you to enjoy after the dance.
Please be sure to thank the North Kingstown Arts Council for signing on as our major sponsor this year (as in previous years) and the North Kingstown Recreation Department
for providing our shuttle buses for the day.
We're also grateful to the Wickford Merchants Association for helping to offset costs for some of our special guests for the day.
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MANY THANKS to the 401 Jeep Wave group for providing the Jeeps that will be projecting our Witch's Dance song for everyone to dance to! Be sure to wave at them as they drive by!
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NEW THIS YEAR -
Don't want to dance?
Join the bike brigade!
Meet our 2023 Grand Marshal
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We are so incredibly proud to announce that this year's Grand Marshal is Wil who is the community liaison coordinator at the Warwick Public Library. Wil has been our number one cheerleader since the inception of our Guild - he always steps us to offer us meeting space, advertises our events and even provided the space for us when we needed to dance for photos for our Wall Street Journal article last year. Let's hear it for Wil (be sure to wave at him in the parade - he'll be the 6'7" witch in the lead convertible!) |
On the day of the parade (Oct 21st):
On Saturday, October 21st, the Witch's Dance Parade steps off at 2:00PM, sharp.
All dancing + bike witchs MUST be at the starting point (Municipal Parking Lot on Brown Street).
All dancing + bike witchs MUST be at the starting point (Municipal Parking Lot on Brown Street).
- EVERY PARTICIPANT MUST:
- be in FULL costume (costume, hat and broom/walking stick) and know the Witches Dance.
- be at the Registration table in the town parking lot by 1:30PM in order to participate in the parade. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- are encouraged to make a $10.00 donation at the Registration Table, to offset the costs to keep this parade event going (did you know it costs the RI Witches Guild more than $8000 to host this parade?)
- be lined up, ready to dance or bike, at 1:45PM. Plan accordingly! The shuttle buses will be looping to all lots between 12PM-430PM so park EARLY so that you can get to the starting point in time to register and get in line! Don't miss the shuttle buses!
Where the heck do I park?
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Anyone who's visited Wickford Village knows that parking can be a bit of a challenge when there's an event. In order to accommodate the crowds that will be dancing and those watching, we will have offsite parking and shuttles that will loop to and from downtown Wickford. That being said, please consider carpooling! There will be NO PARKING ON BROWN STREET in the village. The municipal parking lot behind Shayna's will be CLOSED to the public. Parking in those lots will ONLY be for Handicap permit holders, band members, performers and official parade vehicles. NO EXCEPTIONS SO PLAN ACCORDINGLY!
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Everyone is encouraged to park at one of our designated Shuttle parking lots:
- North Kingstown Town Beach (10 Beach Street)
- Town Hall Annex parking lot (100 Fairway Drive)
- Wickford Middle School (250 Tower Hill Road)
- Hamilton Elementary (25 Salisbury Ave)
The Blue Bus shuttles will be looping between those sites from 12PM-145PM bringing people into the village and dropping them off at Newtown Avenue (near Wickford Liquors on W Main St). Anyone who wishes to dance in the parade will then be able to walk to the Municipal Parking Lot on Brown Street (next to Wickford on the Water restaurant) to register to join the dancing witches. Remember - you MUST register at the parade starting point at the end of Main Street by 145PM to be in the parade - no exceptions!
PLEASE REALIZE that we can NOT anticipate how many people will be coming into the village to dance and/or watch the parade and our shuttles only hold 45 people at a time. PLAN ACCORDINGLY!
You may also try to park right outside of the village and walk in. Anywhere South of Beach Street on Route 1A and Wilson Park are within walking distance of the village and a nice leisurely stroll. Paraders will start dancing from in front of the Kayak Center on Brown Street, over the Hussey Bridge, past the Town Hall and taking a LEFT onto Beach Street to the Town Beach Pavillion. Plan your best viewing spot of the parade anywhere along this route.
The shuttles will NOT be running during the parade (145PM-245PM). They will begin picking people up at the parking lot of the town beach at the end of the parade, running loops to all parking lots from 3PM-430PM.
WE SUGGEST:
Plan to arrive EARLY so that you can grab a bite to eat or pick up something to drink in the village - (there will be multiple food trucks parked down at the end of the parade - the NK town beach -for you to grab a bite to eat before heading home). We'll also be performing the Witch's Dance one time as an entire group at the end of the parade so don't miss the fun at the beach!
The parade route will begin at the municipal parking lot on Brown Street at 2:00PM SHARP. It will travel down the length of Brown Street through downtown Wickford and then continue over the Hussey Bridge, and take a left onto Beach Street, ending at the town beach. At the end point, everyone will gather to learn the winners of costume competitions (Maiden, up to age 18; Mother, ages 19-50; and Crone, age 51+). Then we'll have a group dance (imagine it - all of the witches from the parade (maybe 500 this year?) all dancing together at the beach!). There will be multiple food trucks for everyone to enjoy a nice snack or drink before they board the shuttle buses to get back to their cars.
DON'T FORGET - When dancing in the parade, be sure to take a second and stop at the judges stand in front of the Town Hall on Rt 1A and show the judges your competition number (given to you at the registration table at beginning of the parade route) so that they can get a good look at your costume!
Parade Costume Competition
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Who doesn't love a little competition? This year's parade will be led by Last year's Best Witches costume competition winners. For our parade we'll have THREE categories: MAIDEN (up to age 18) MOTHER (ages 19-50) CRONE (ages 51 and up) Each of the winners in the 2023 parade will be invited to lead next year's event. |
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2021 Best Witch WINNER 2022 CRONE WINNER 2022 MAIDEN WINNER
